Combined timer and distributor



June 15 1926.

c. F. GILCHRIST ET AL COMBINED TIMER AND DISTRIBUTOR Filed July 21, 1920 2 Sheets$heet 1 m iziztEex INVENTORI Clarence F Gi/chns:

y Hay R Patterson A TTORNEY June 15 1926. 1,588,546

C. F. GILCHRIST ET AL COMBINED TIMER AND DISTRIBUTOR Filed,July 21, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IT -IZIL 15 15 ITIZLXII- INVENTOR. Clarence FGI/chr/sr;

By Harr RPatterson A TTORNEY Patented June 15,1926.

UNITED STATES CLARENCE F. GILCHRIST AND HARRY R. PATTERSON, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNORS BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE ELECTRIC AUTO-LITE COMPANY, OF TOLEDO OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

1,588,546 PATENT OFFICE.

COMBINED TIMER AND DISTRIBUTOR.

Application filed July 21, 1920. Serial No. 397,895.

This invention relates to ignition apparatus for internal combustion engines and particularly to that type which includes means for timing and distributing the spark impulses to the cylinders of the engine. An object of our invention is to improve the construction and operation of such apparatus, to provide for the ready accessibility of the parts, for adjustment and cleaning and to simplify the structure in general whereby it is adapted for quantity production at a minimum cost.

Further objects of this invention relate to economies of manufacture and details of construction as will hereinafter appear from the detailed description to follow. We accomplish the objects of our invention in one instance by the devices and means described in the following specification, but it is evident that the same may be varied widely withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as pointed out in the appended claims. A structure constituting one embodiment of our invention, which may be the preferred, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

Figure I is a top plan view of a device illustrating our invention.

F ig. II is a cross sectional view of the same taken .on the line IIII of Fig. I.

Fig. III is a cross sectional view taken on the line III-III of Fig. II.

Fig. IV is a fragmentary elevation partly in section showing the spring hook for h0ld-' ing down the distributor cap.

Fig. V is a fragmentary sectional view of the frame and carrier plate showing the spring holding them together.

Fig. VI is a disassembled view of the rotatable parts as well as the interrupter mechanism.

Figs. VII, VIII and IX are respectively top plan views of the distributor member, the cam and the interrupter mechanism shown Fig. VI.

Fig. X is a fragmentary view of the reverse side of the interrupter shown in Fig. IX.

Figs. XI and XII are, respectively, a top plan view and a side elevation of the frame or casing member and Fig. XIII is a side view of the interrupter lever.

In the drawings, the same reference numera-ls refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and the sectional views are taken looking in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the section lines. I

Referring to the drawings, we have shown a housing for the operative parts of our device, comprising a frame or casing member 5 upon which rests a distributor cap 6. The frame 5 comprises a central or hearing portion and an outer or easing portion, the former forming the bearing for the drive shaft 7 which portion is also adapted to be received in a suitable holder comprising a part of the engine or generator with which the device is used. The casing portlon of the frame 5 has a flange 8 which forms a support for the distributor cap 6 and an oil hole 9 is provided in the bottom, communicating with the shaft. The flange 8 is cut away at the points 10 and 11 for purposes to be described hereinafter. An opening 12 is also provided in the bottom of the casing, the purpose of which will also be described hereinafter. Two pairs of lugs depend from the casing by means of which two hook springs 14 are pivotally mounted and these spring hooks engage at their upper ends in suitable notches 15 formed on opposite sides of the distributor cap 6. The springs 14 are constructed to snap into the notches 15 and enable the cap to be readily applied to or removed from the frame. Web portions 16 of a pair serve to limit the out ward movement of the springs. The distributor cap 6 is constructed of suitable insulating material, preferably phenolic condensation product and is shown having a central terminal 17 and six surrounding terminals 17, each extending through to the inside of the ca 3 and 00-0 )eratin with the .7

distributor finger to be described later. Electrical connections are made from the coil and the spark plugs to the terminals 17 and 17 by means of detachable connectors, one only of which is shown in Fig. II but as this forms no part of the present invention further description thereof will not be made. The central terminal 17 carries a spring pressed contact which bears against the distributor finger while the outer end of the finger passes close to but without actual contact with each of the terminals 17. A small opening 50 extends through the side lllll wall of the cap near the top and a second opening is formed at the bottom of the cap by cutting away a portion of the edge as shown at 51 in Fig. V at a point opposite a notch 11. The carrier plate 18 having an integral arm 19 is journaled on the frame or casing member 5 concentric with the shaft 7 and is adapted to have a limited rotative movement relative to the said casing, the extent of movement being limited by the width of the slot 10 through which the arm 19 entends.

The carrier plate 18 is frictionally retained in position on the frame by a pair of spring clips 20 which can be readily applied to and removed from the frame or casing from the exterior thereof, the use of screws and nuts being thereby avoided. As will be seen from the drawing, one end of a clip engages the top face of the plate 18 while a hook at the opposite end fits a suitable depression in the frame The outer end of the arm 19 is shown with an aperture for connecting an operating rod or member to shift the position of the plate 18 to advance or retard the spark. Pivotally mounted upon the carrier plate 18 by means of a post 21 is an interrupter lever 22 which is preferably formed of sheet metal and, as shown in Figs. TIT, VT, TX and XTH, is bent up in the general form of a trough having a back and two side portions'substantially at right angles thereto. The fulcrum end of the lever is provided with a bearing sleeve 23 which has flanges 24: securely engaging the two side portions. The opposite end is reduced in thickness and carries a contact point 25. Intermediate the ends of the lever are two pairs of integral cars 26 which are bent over to firmly engage and hold a cam engaging block 27 which block is of a size to snugly fit between the two sides and back of the lever with an exposed portion to be engaged by the operating cam. The front or cam engaging face of this block 27 is a substantially flat surface and is so dimensioned that as the cam rotates the contact is always on that surface and the surface tangent to the cam face. This, together with the shape of the cam, insures freedom from vibration and smoothness in running. By the construction described a lever of maximum strength with minimum weight of material is obtained adapting it for efiicient high speed operation. A return spring 30 has one end looped around the pivot sleeve 23 with its end formed into a hook 31 to engage the back of the lever and having its opposite end formed into a loop or hook 32 passing around a headed post 33 carried by the plate 18. This spring 30 is constructed with an initial flexure and it will be seen that by providing each end of the spring with a hook, one engaging the lever and the other the post 33; that movea sence ment of the lever by the cam causes the spring to be not only flexed but also to be tensioned due to the winding-action at the lever end.

Adjacent the contact end of the lever and adapted to co-operate therewith is what may be termed the stationary contact carrying element 35. This element comprises a post 36 carrying a screw 37 having a contact point to co-operate with the contact point on the lever, the screw being held in adjustment by means of a clamping screw 38 which serves to clamp two portions of the post separated by a saw-cut 39. The contact carrying element has a flat base portion LO-which rests on and is secured to the carrier plate 18, being separated therefrom by a plate of insulation 1-1. A circuit terminal 44 extends up through the opening 12 in the frame and throiwh the plate 18, being insulated therefrom by suitable washers and sleeves and is electrically connected with the base. The opposite or contact end of the base portion 40 is secured to the carrier plate 18 in a manner to permit slight adjustment of the contact member 35 about the circuit terminal 44 as a center. This is accomplished by providing a somewhat elongated hole in the plate 18., shown in dotted lines in Fig. X, through which hole extends a clamping screw 45 by means of which the contact carrying element 35 may be rigidly secured to the carrier plate with the stationary and movable contacts in proper alignment.

The interrupter lever 22 with its attached contact 25 and the corresponding stationary contact screw 37 form with their supports what is commonly termed interrupter mechanism, the contacts 25 and 37 being termed the interrupter contacts. This expression distinguishes over the distributor mechanism 17 and 60, whereby the current is distributed to the various engine cylin der circuits.

The upper end of the drive shaft 7 is formed with an integral collar adapted to take up end thrust above which extends a slightly reduced portion 56 which, as shown more distinctly in Fig. V1, is slotted to form four quadrants. The portion 56 has a tapered opening terminating in a screw threaded hole adapted to receive a screw )7 having a tapered shank to fit the tapered opening in the shaft. A cam 58 fits snugly over the slotted portion 56 of the shaft and is held thereto in any desired adjusted position by tightening the screw 57 expanding the slotted end into a firm engagement with the cam as will be readily apparent. The screw 57 has a cylindrical or fillister head 59 which serves to support and guide the distributor member 60. This member is preferably constructed in the form of a disk substantially dividing the interior space into with its upper end rolled over to form in effect a rivet to secure the distributor finger in position. The distributor element 60 is also provided with apin 65 which engages a suitable opening 65 in the top of the cam 58 to hold the distributor in proper operative position relative to the cam.

By reason of the above described construction, the lugs 61 and finger 62 form in effect a centrifugal fan, setting the air in the upper chamber in re id rotation. A circulatlon is thereby inriilced, fresh air entering at the lower opening 51 and air laden withozone and nitrous acid being expelled through the opening 50. In this manner the.

interrupter mechanism is kept substantially free from the corrosive effects of gases produced at the spark gaps.

Inasmuch as the invention herein disclosed is. susceptible of-variousother embodiments and as various changes might be made'in the embodiment set forth, it is to be understood that all matter described above or shown in the accom anying drawings is to be interpreted as ill iistrative only, and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: a

1. In an ignition timer, the combination of a frame comprising a shaft bearing portion and a casing, a shaft journalled in said portion, a cam carried by said shaft, a plate mounted in said casing for adjustment about said shaft, interrupter mechanism carried b said plate, said casing having openings a jacent said plate and sprin clips projecting through said openings an removable from the exterior of the casing for holding said plate in yielding engagement with said casmg.

2. In an ignition timer; the combination of a frame; a plate loosely mounted within said frame for carrying current interrupter mechanism; and a member applicable and removable from the exterior of the frame for holding said frame and plate together.

In testimony whereof, we. aliix our signatures.

CLARENCE F. GILCHRIST. HARRY R. PATTERSON. 

